IEN: How can/will vendors address concerns related to robustness, open protocols, and flexibility?
Cramer: The best way for companies to simplify integration of enterprise systems is to incorporate components, such as temperature controllers, motor drives, PLCs, etc. that are open and Internet-enabled. Open, freely distributed devices that make use of the Internet, high speed networks, and web-based technologies enable interoperability with a broad universe of systems and applications, such as MES (Manufacturing Execution System), CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). Devices designed in this way also enable access to remote technical support services, as well as performance monitoring, analysis and reporting tools. This can significantly improve productivity and profitability.
IEN: What advances do you see in plant floor connectivity, web services?
Cramer: Ethernet, wireless and Internet-enabled components will come to dominate the plant floor. This will simplify the interconnection of devices, creating greater efficiency throughout the enterprise.
IEN: Will remote monitoring of key manufacturing/processing operations take hold?
Cramer: Yes, operational performance is dependent upon keeping close tabs on production status, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Web-enabled monitoring, analysis and reporting tools provide a cost-effective way to track, record, and store process line activity in a centralized, readily accessible manner. By providing ubiquitous access to production status, remote monitoring enables plant personnel and corporate managers to make more strategic business decisions. It also empowers off-site technical support specialists to identify and solve production problems faster.
IEN: Where are other R & D hot spots?
Cramer: Hosted software is a hot spot for R & D because it circumvents issues like compatibility, installation, scalability, processing capacity, etc., making development and delivery simpler and easier. It also creates a free-flowing development environment, where new functionality and improvements can be added seamlessly. Packaged software improves only when new version upgrades are issued. Companies are turning to hosted applications because they are cost-effective, secure, faster, and more reliable and scalable than internal technology resources.
Hosted software applications that monitor and analyze process line activity can be used to establish "best case" operating standards. When conditions slip outside these optimum benchmarks, alert notifications are sent to plant staff. Hosted software can also be used to automate product recipe setup, safeguard system settings in the event of a failure, etc.
IEN: Will wireless become more prevalent?
Cramer: Wireless devices are and will continue to be a tool that enhances a technology infrastructure, especially in plants where interconnection of devices can become an expensive proposition. Wireless LAN networks provide great freedom for viewing and communicating information, as well as enabling powerful troubleshooting strategies, such as wearable computers.
IEN: How can security issues (managed firewalls, spam control, managed virus scanning, etc.) be resolved?
Cramer: Security issues can be resolved by implementing the same technologies that banks, financial institutions and e-commerce vendors use to ensure secure transactions. This includes the use of encryption technologies, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), firewalls, and dedicated networks.
IEN: In what ways can companies design integrated systems to insure maximum lean/flexible manufacturing?
Cramer: Designing integrated systems that enable remote diagnostics can significantly bolster lean/flexible manufacturing practices by providing companies with instant access to technical support. This reduces downtime, and gives plant staff more time to work on proactive projects.
Hosted, Internet-enabled software tools automate and centralize functions, such as product recipe management and version control to achieve the highest level of manufacturing efficiency.
IEN: How much progress do you see toward tying together the plant floor with the overall enterprise (front office, back offices, and all aspects of logistics)? What major hurdles remain?
Cramer: The use of open, Internet-enabled technologies on the plant floor paves the way for integration of front office, back office, and logistics operations. For example, component programming tools should be accessible through a web browser to enable remote diagnostics, which speeds problem resolution. Ethernet is key to the effective interconnection of devices on the plant floor. These devices can then be connected to the Internet and high-speed networks to feed essential information to other parts of the enterprise.
While many manufacturers have implemented Internet-enabled technologies in their most profitable facilities, they have neglected to adopt such technologies in others. These antiquated facilities cannot be remotely monitored, nor can they be connected to enterprise applications that manage production and delivery. This not only handicaps certain plants, but it also prevents business managers from seeing the whole picture when making strategic decisions.
IEN: Given the increasing sophistication of technology, how can companies maintain legacy equipment as part of integrated systems, in the spirit of the lean enterprise?
Cramer: Legacy equipment presents serious maintenance challenges to the lean enterprise because these are the areas in which lean-ness is most difficult to achieve. Obsolete hardware, difficult programming environments, missing documentation, and an absence of technical support makes it tempting to abandon lean manufacturing in the quest to support legacy equipment. Companies who don''t try to support the legacy equipment in house, but instead work with an outside firm that has expertise in working with the particular legacy system in question, can reap the benefits of experience, documentation, and even a source of spares parts.
Of course, depending on how critical the legacy system is, the evaluation of an outsourcing approach needs to include factors such as speed of response, delivery times for parts, and access to key technical personnel. For sophisticated legacy applications, the best maintenance support solution uses online services where a third party organization networks the experienced technicians into the plant to provide their skills when and where needed.